In a closely watched set of polls, former President Donald Trump is edging out Vice President Kamala Harris, the newly declared Democratic presidential nominee, in several key battleground states.
The polls, released Thursday by Emerson College Polling and The Hill, indicate a tight race as both candidates gear up for the 2024 presidential election.
The survey reveals Trump leading Harris by five points in Arizona, where he garners 49 percent support compared to Harris’s 44 percent.
In Georgia, Trump is ahead by two points, standing at 48 percent to Harris’s 46 percent.
The margin narrows further in Michigan, with Trump leading by just one point, at 46 percent to 45 percent.
In Pennsylvania, Trump holds a two-point lead over Harris, with 48 percent to her 46 percent. The two candidates are tied in Wisconsin, each securing 47 percent.
These numbers suggest a competitive race, with the polling in every state except Arizona falling within the survey’s margin of error, effectively indicating a tie in most battleground states.
This reflects broader concerns about Harris’s ability to win against Trump in the general election, concerns that have even been echoed by former President Barack Obama, who has expressed doubts about Harris’s chances and has yet to endorse her.
Nationally, an aggregate of polls compiled by The Hill and Decision Desk HQ as of Wednesday afternoon shows Trump leading Harris by a narrow margin, 48 percent to 46 percent.
This is a slightly tighter race compared to national polls showing Trump leading President Joe Biden, who currently stands at 47 percent to Trump’s 43 percent.
The Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey collected responses from 800 individuals each in Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan, with a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points for each state.
In Pennsylvania, 850 respondents were surveyed, with a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points, and in Wisconsin, 845 respondents were surveyed, also with a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.
The data was gathered between July 22 and July 23.
These early polls suggest a tight contest in critical states that will be crucial for determining the next president.